Knak / 2023-2026
AI Translations
Helped global marketing teams localize campaigns across 75+ languages using instant AI or professional providers in one workflow, contributing to 20% growth in usage frequency.
Design Highlights
Select a translation provider
Choose the connected Transperfect AI provider to configure a translation.
Set the source language
Establish the source language at the start of the translation configuration workflow.
Explore language selection and request review
Design exploration pairing target-language selection with a request summary, campaign assignment, and notes for the translation team.
Confirm successful submission
A confirmation acknowledges the submitted translation request and directs users to the Translate tab or Studio to find completed translations.
Refine a translated email with AI
The Subject Line Assistant alongside a translated French asset, with French and English translation statuses visible in the sidebar.
Overview
I designed multi-language campaign support directly inside the Knak builder, combining instant AI translation with enterprise translation-service integrations. The system supports 75+ languages and regional variants, with full-email translation through AWS Translate, block-level translation through Google Gemini, and professional workflows through Smartling, TransPerfect, and Lazarus.
Challenge
Global customers needed efficient, accurate translation workflows for multi-language campaigns. Existing workflows required exporting content, sending it to translation services, waiting for turnaround, and re-importing, a process that added days to campaign timelines. Different customers had different needs: some required professional translations for legal or regulatory compliance, while others needed fast, good-enough translations to move quickly. The challenge was serving both use cases within a single, cohesive experience.
Approach
I designed multiple translation paths inside one consistent experience. Users can choose full-email AI translation for speed, block-level translation for precision, or a professional provider when review and compliance matter. The interface stays familiar regardless of which service powers the result.
Solution
Built translation capabilities directly into the Knak builder with multiple translation paths. Knak's built-in translations use AWS Translate to instantly translate entire emails at once, with an additional option to use AI text generation via Gemini to translate individual content blocks for more targeted control. For customers who require professional translation services, integrated Smartling, TransPerfect, and Lazarus as provider options. The UI feels almost exactly the same regardless of which translation provider is used. The provider is abstracted behind a consistent interface so users focus on their content, not the underlying service.
Impact
Global marketers can localize campaigns across 75+ languages without exporting content or learning a different workflow for each provider. Customers can choose instant, cost-effective AI translation for speed or connected professional services when review requirements are higher, while regional language options support more precise localization. For Knak, the unified experience contributed to a 20% increase in MAU/WAU and expanded the platform's value for global campaign operations.
Key Learnings
The hardest design problem was creating a unified experience across both built-in AI translations and third-party integrations. Abstracting the translation provider behind a consistent UI meant users could focus on content rather than tools, and made it easy to add new providers without redesigning the experience. Offering both instant AI translations and professional service integrations proved to be the right approach: different campaigns have different requirements, and flexibility drives adoption across more use cases.